


A Stranger Christmas Carol

by welcometotheupsidedown



Series: In Every Universe - Mileven Alternate Universes [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Based on A Christmas Carol, F/M, This is a Christmas Fic, background lumax, everyone else is just mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 18:34:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17627480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welcometotheupsidedown/pseuds/welcometotheupsidedown
Summary: Mike made a mistake when he was a teenager, and he is still paying for it. When Christmas comes back around, Mike expects to be just as lonely and unhappy as the last six, but the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future have something else in mind...





	A Stranger Christmas Carol

**Author's Note:**

> If it's not already obvious, this was based off of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I actually did write this at Christmas, but since I just got this account, I'm loading all of my fanfics here. 
> 
> This was also posted on my Amino. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!!

December 22nd, 1995

Mike Wheeler was a high school english teacher. And that’s the only thing he ever did right. When he left for college, he lost his friends after a fight with his ex-girlfriend, El Hopper.

He thought about the fight from time to time. It replayed over and over again like a broken record. But he never thought too deeply about it because he knew if he did, the pain would rush back in.

But he still recognized that he had lost. He lost the fight. And his friends.

El had lost too. Sure, she still got to keep her friends. But she still lost.

They both did.

He remembers it like it was yesterday... Really, it had been six years ago.

—————

~August 1989~

“After everything we’ve been through, why would you want this? We both know this isn’t going to work like this!” Mike yelled. They were packing up things for college at El’s house, or at least trying to anyways.

Mike was going to Purdue. El, to UCLA in California.

“You don’t know that. Long distance relationships work for people who really love each other! We can do this!”

This had been an ongoing argument ever since El had decided she wanted to go to California.

“We talked about this! We were all set to go to colleges near each other and move in together after the first year. We had a plan!” Mike argued. They were shouting in each other’s faces now, surely disturbing the other members of El’s household.

They had argued before. Of course they had. But this? This was more than anyone had anticipated...

“So what? Are you saying that us being closer together is more important than me following my dreams?” El glared at him.

“You know that’s not what I meant,” he whispered.

“Yeah, well. It sure feels that way. If you want us to be together during college, why don’t you come to California? If it’s really that important to you...”

“I can’t do that!” Mike exclaimed.

“Well than you’re a hypocrite. You’re mad at me for not following you, when you’re not even willing to follow me! Hypocrite!” El rarely ever spoke to anyone like this. So he knew she was getting really upset.

“Oh what? So now I’m a hypocrite? I’m sorry, but who helped you even make it to college in the first place?!” He spat out the last sentence and its effect was immediate.

A look of hurt fell across El’s face. “You know I worked hard to get here... after the lab and... I might’ve had help from you, but I made it here. Me. I did that. You can’t just—you can’t... I don’t want to have this argument anymore,” she said, tears filling up in her eyes.

“Well fine. Have a nice life,” Mike said and walked out.

“Mike, that’s not what I meant!” El shouted, but he was gone. And that was the worst thing Mike Wheeler has ever done.

——————

Back to the present...

Creating a lesson plan for today, Mike almost didn’t notice her come in.

Max Mayfield.

No, Max had never been as close with Mike as the others had been, but they had still been friends. They still loved each other in a different way.

And she certainly wasn’t the friend Mike had expected to forgive him, but he was grateful for her all the same.

“Mayfield,” he greeted when he finally noticed her.

“It’s Sinclair, now,” she corrected him, but she was smiling.

“Oh yes, I almost forgot. Congratulations by the way,” Mike told her, returning the smile.

“Sorry we couldn’t invite you... I really wanted to it’s just...” Max began to explain, but hesitated.

“No, I get it. It’s fine.... did she have a good time?” He asked so vaguely, but they both knew who he was asking about.

“Yes. She didn’t bring anyone... you know, if you reconciled, maybe we could all be friends again. The guys... they miss you too. I know they do, even if they don’t express it...” And she was telling the truth, the Party hadn’t been the same since 1989, even with most of the members still being friends there was one missing piece to their puzzle, a void that just couldn’t be filled.

“You know I can’t do that. I miss all you guys. Heck, I can’t even lie... I miss her. But there’s no way to fix it. The Party is broken and it’s my fault and I get that. But I can’t do that. I just... can’t.” Mike looked over at Max, who was staring at him with a strange look in her eyes.

“You could try. That’s all I’m asking. Try. Sure, there’s probably no way to get back to the place you were with her before, but you can at least be civil towards each other again. You can be friends. Just try,” Max told him. And then, “Come to our Christmas party. It’s Christmas evening at 8. My house. She’ll be there, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be there either.”

It still baffled him that all six party members found their way back to this little town of Hawkins, Indiana. He had enough trouble avoiding El anyways, let alone going to an actual party that she would be at.

“I’ll think about it,” Mike said, but he had no intention in going. Max didn’t seem to notice the lie, and left to her own classroom down the hall. (Who would have thought Max would make a good math teacher?)

—————

Mike could barely focus that day. Neither could the kids, after all it was the last day before Christmas break. Mike had planned ahead of course, knowing that his students would be too focused on break, so he ended up putting on a movie: A Christmas Carol. It just happened that he had just made them all read the book for an assignment, so it was still fresh in their minds.

That night, Mike was even more depressed than earlier. Probably because he lived alone, no friends to go see, his mother and father didn’t care to hear from him much anymore.

So he ended up calling the one person from his family that he knew could make him feel better.

“Hey, Nancy, hows it going?” Mike loved talking to Nancy. Her life was so different from his that it was like a breath of fresh air.

“Nothing much, just watching Emma shoving Cheerios up her nose and Jonathan trying to keep her from doing that. What’s up with you, little bro?”

“Nothing really, just wanted to hear your voice. Feeling a little lonely tonight is all...” he said.

This happened a lot. Mike calling Nancy when he was lonely. Sometimes it would bother Nancy that he was so alone. She worried about him. He even visited more often now, too. But that was mostly because he loved being an uncle. Emma was nearly two years old and quite possibly Mike’s favorite person.

“Well, you could come visit tomorrow. It would help take your mind off of things for a while,” Nancy suggested.

“Yeah, sure. Tell little Emma I said hi, okay?” Mike smiled into the receiver.

“Sure thing, little bro. See you tomorrow,” she hung up.

And the sadness overwhelmed him again, until it was finally an acceptable time for sleep and he went to bed.

—————

And so the Christmas plans began to unfold.

Saturday, Mike went to Nancy’s and played with Emma until it was late.

Sunday, Christmas Eve, Mike had Christmas with his family at his childhood home.

That had become their new tradition so that Nancy could spend Christmas with Jonathan’s family.

Mike had more fun than he thought, but tomorrow was Christmas and he would be alone. All day. The thought made him rather upset and wondering how his life turned out this way.

But that night when he went to sleep, something happened to him that he would never forget.

——————

Tick. Tick. Tick. The clock stopped.

Midnight.

And suddenly, Mike Wheeler was awake. He caught his breath after the initial shock. He had woken with a start, but for seemingly no reason at all... until he realized he was not alone.

“Will?”

Sure enough, Will Byers seemed to be sitting in his bedroom.

“Sort of. I’m more of a manifestation of him. I’m really the Spirit of Christmas Past,” the ghost Will explained.

“Like... like from the movie?” Mike stared at him like he was from another planet.

“Not important. Come on, we have places to be,” Will said, reaching his hand out towards Mike for him to grab.

Mike was hesitant. But then he grabbed his hand and they began flying through the night.

“What is happening?!” Mike shouted and ghost Will led him through time and into the past.

Suddenly they stopped.

“What are we doing at the middle school?” Mike asked.

“It’s December 15th, 1984,” Will replied.

“The Snowball,” Mike answered in realization.

They walked up to the doors and Mike peeked in. It looked exactly the same as it did eleven years ago. Tinsel and streamers. Everything in silver and blue tones. It was one of the best nights of his life.

He realized very quickly that he recognized all these people. They had really traveled back in time!

There was a younger version of Will, Dustin dancing with Nancy, Max and Lucas.

There was himself!

And that’s when the song started playing.

And his heart stopped, because he hadn’t seen El yet, which meant she should be coming in the very doors he’s standing at now!

He turned around just in time to see her standing directly in front of him. But of course, she couldn’t see him.

In fact, he held his breath as she walked right through him!

He watched his younger self quickly stand when he saw young El walk in.

They met in the middle.

He watched as the younger him stumbled over his words saying, “You look beautiful!”

“You wanna dance?”

“I... don’t know how...”

“I don’t either, you wanna figure it out?”

And then young Mike was pulling El’s arms up to his shoulders and placing his hands on her waist. And they danced.

Mike knew what was coming.

He watched as they kissed.

And his heart broke in his chest.

Suddenly the room turned to dust and they were flying again. Mike screamed in panic at being airborne once again.

Then they were standing in Mike’s childhood home, in the basement.

“December 24th, 1986,” ghost Will said.

“Thanks for helping me bake those cookies. I would have burnt them if you hadn’t been there,” 15-year-old Mike told El. He pulled her beside him on the couch.

“You’re welcome,” she answered, giving him a quick kiss.

“Since my mom won’t let me come see you tomorrow, I wanna give you your present,” young Mike said.

He quickly pulled a small box out of his backpack that was sitting on the floor beside him and handed it to her.

She opened it with delicate fingers, gasping at the sight of it.

“It’s a promise ring. It’s a promise that we’ll always be together. Because I love you,” young Mike told her.

“I love you too.”

Mike’s heart burned in his chest.

And once again the room was spinning. But this time, Mike didn’t have the energy to scream.

Mike blinked his eyes and suddenly they were standing outside of the Hoppers-Byers residence.

“December 25th, 1989,” ghost Will spoke.

“No, please not this one!” Mike pleaded. He knew what happened on this day and was not happy about reliving it.

Will did not answer him, only looked pointedly to the two people standing on the porch.

“Come on, El, please. I miss you. Maybe we can try the long distance thing!” 18-year-old Mike yelled.

“Apologize. And I’ll consider it,” she said.

“W—what?” young Mike asked.

“Apologize for ruining this before,” El gestured between them.

“But we just had a fight, it’s not like I caused it!”

“And that is why we are not getting back together,” El began shuffling in her pocket for something. She pulled it out. The promise ring. “Here. I don’t want it anymore.” She walked away.

Mike was nearly in tears now. He turned to ghost Will. “Please, no more of this, I can’t take anymore!”

“These are the shadows of things that have been. They are what they are, do not blame me,” Will answered.

Mike sat on the ground with his face in his hands.

Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

—————

Once again Mike woke up with a start. Shaking his head at the horrible dream he had, he almost didn’t notice he was once again not alone.

“Lucas?!”

“Yeah, but on the inside I’m the Ghost of Christmas Present,” Lucas answered.

“Oh... no,” realization began to dawn on Mike as the words left his mouth.

This time when he grabbed Lucas’s hand, they did not fly. The room around them simply distorted and expanded into a different room, one he was not familiar with.

He knew her as soon as he saw her. She looked older, but she still had those dark brown eyes, and that curly brown hair, which was now cropped at her shoulders like it had been during their freshman year. Her angelic features hadn’t changed much, but she looked more beautiful than ever.

This must be El’s house.

She was crouched over, writing something on a piece of paper.

Mike peered over to look at what the paper said.

His heart ached at the words that were written.

Pros and Cons of Seeing Mike Again

Pros: closure, we can all be friends again

Cons: he might hurt me more, bad memories, afraid he’s moved on and doesn’t care about us anymore

Max must’ve told her she’d invited Mike to the Christmas party.

He looked over at ghost Lucas, “She has more cons than pros. Maybe it’s best that I don’t go.”

“If you keep going on like this, it will be no good for either of you. You’re both unhappy with your lives even though you both have successful careers. She is scared of the cons, that’s why she has more of them.”

——————

Mike woke up and half expected that that had been yet another dream, but looking to his left he knew it was real.

Because there was Dustin Henderson sitting in a chair next to his bed.

Mike held back a laugh, “I thought the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come was supposed to be dressed in a black cloak and carry that weapon?”

Dustin looked at him annoyed, “Well, when I get stuck with the worst part, you get what you get.”

“And aren’t you not supposed to talk either?” Mike questioned.

Dustin just rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright. You know the drill,” he said holding his hand out. Mike grabbed it.

The air around them began spinning until they were now somewhere else.

Max and Lucas’s house.

“He’s not coming, is he?” El asked quietly.

“No, I don’t think he ever was,” Max answered sadly.

“El, have you thought about maybe... moving on?” Dustin asked, cautiously.

“Yes, but it never goes the way I want it to. I think I just need closure or something,” she said, laying herself down on the floor of the living room.

The room spun again and they were further into the future, in El’s house again.

“No, no, you go. I’ll be fine.... No, you don’t have to check on me...” El was on the phone.

This was years later, Mike could tell. Her hair was duller, but not any less beautiful. Her eyes had small wrinkles around the edges but the rest of her face was still young-looking. If Mike had to guess, this is ten or more years from the present.

“Really, I’m going to be alright... yeah... okay... bye, Will, love you.”

As far as Mike could tell, El still lived alone. Not much in her house had changed in however many years it had been.

He watched as El went into her bedroom, and he followed quickly. She sat in front of her vanity, looking at the jewelry box in front of her.

She pulled the silver necklace out of her jewelry box with practice, like she had done it everyday for years, and maybe she had.

He recognized it immediately. It had been the very first piece of jewelry he had given her. It was a small heart locket he had given as a gift for her 14th birthday.

She held the necklace to her chest and let a single tear run down her cheek.

“She’ll never get over you completely. She loved you with her whole heart,” Ghost Dustin told him.

“This is what happens if I do nothing? If things stay the way they are?” Mike asked.

“December 25th, 2006. 17 years after the break up. This is the fate you will be leaving her with,” Dustin spoke dramatically.

“So if this is what her life is like, what is mine?” Mike felt the room spin again and knew where he was being taken. To his own future.

Which led him to a... cemetery?

Then he noticed that unlike in the movie, he was not the one who was dead.

The older version of himself sat at a large grave. He walked up to see his parents names on the stone.

“Car accident,” ghost Dustin explained. “The parts of your future you can’t see here include the fact that you’re alone, you and Nancy had a falling out when your parents died, you never get to see your nieces and nephews, and you have no friends.”

“Okay! I get it! I’ve had enough! I’ll change! I can change! I’ll do it for her!”

“How? And after all this time?”

“I’ve just gotta try! Please, just... let me try...”

——————

Mike woke up to his face hitting the floor of his bedroom, but he was happy to see that it was daytime now. He checked the clock: 8:12am.

He wanted to go right away. He needed to see her. But he didn’t know where her house actually was. And it would be weird if he just showed up at her doorstep after not speaking for nearly six years.

So he waited. He tried to busy himself, but much of his day was spent thinking of what he could say.

He began to write it down, trying to organize his thoughts.

Finally, the clock read 7:40, and Mike took a deep breath and left for Max and Lucas’s house.

—————

He nervously stood in front of the door to Max and Lucas’s house, wringing his hands as he waited for someone to answer.

When the door finally opened, it was Max who greeted him.

“Mike!” She yelled, pulling him into a hug. “I would’ve bet good money you weren’t going to come!”

“Yeah, well, I figured it’s time I finally do something right for a change,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Max gave him a confused look.

“I’m going to try to talk to El tonight. You know, try and fix our friendship,” he answered.

Max gave him a huge smile. “I’m proud of you. Now come on, she’s already here.”

Max pulled Mike into the house, giving him zero time to prepare because now he was face to face with the whole party.

He looked at all of their surprised faces, until his eyes landed on the one he’d been waiting to see all day.

She looked, not sad or angry, but hopeful. Almost... happy to see him?

“Mike?” Dustin was the first to react.

“Um, hey. I... uh... I wanted to... apologize for... you know, being a jerk. Um... I really acted like a waistoid to all of you, but... “

Okay, here it goes...

“But most of all to you, El.” El looked taken back by the fact he was addressing her, but she held his gaze, taking in every word.

“I messed up. Horribly. What we had? It wasn’t something I should’ve just thrown away. I should’ve just listened to you. I was selfish and rude. I can’t even describe how sorry I am for doing that to you because you deserve so much better than that. I know we probably won’t ever be the same as we were before... but I’m asking if we can still be friends at least. I know you probably won’t forgive me for what I did and I’m okay with that. I deserve it. Heck, I don’t even deserve to have you as a friend, but honestly I can’t live my life without you in it... so I’m going to leave it up to you. If you want me to stay, I’ll stay. If you want me to leave... I’ll walk out that door right now,” Mike said, his eyes tearing up. El’s were too, but he couldn’t tell how she was going to react.

The room was silent. None of the other four people in the room made a sound.

El stands from her spot on the couch and looks at Mike dead in the eyes.

“Stay.”

“What?” Mike can’t believe what he’s hearing. He was sure she would turn him away, scream at him, or throw him out.

“I want you to stay.... I... I forgive you,” El says. Mike can barely hold back his tears. He never expected her to want him to stay, let alone forgive him.

No one said anything, but Max and Lucas made eye contact and were grinning hugely. Dustin lightly hit Will on the shoulder in disbelief.

Then El walked up to Mike, hesitating in front of him for a second, before reaching her arms around him and pulling him into a hug.

At this, Dustin could no longer hold his tongue.

“Woo! The Party is back together!” He yelled, making the others roll their eyes but they all were smiling.

——————

Rebuilding a broken relationship wasn’t easy. It took a long time. They were friends for a while, before things started becoming more.

Mike took baby steps, making sure not to cross any lines. However, El was the opposite. She was the one to finally ask him on a date. She was the one who initiated the first kiss.

They re-said their “I love you’s” after a year had gone by.

Six months after that, Mike asked El to move in together.

Then finally, two Christmas’s after reuniting, Mike asked El to marry him. And she said yes.

They married six months later, somehow more in love than they ever had been.

They would have three kids of their own.

And they would go together, in old age, just under 24 hours apart.

All thanks to Mike’s crazy, stupid dream. (That he never told anyone about).


End file.
